By Leeroy Francis Jr. |Sports editorDave Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, died Oct. 4 in Cresskill, N.J. He was 89. The death of Anderson set off a wave of tributes from sportswriters and commentators from all over the globe, including sports journalists Peter King, Adrian Wojnarowski, Damon Hack, Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian, just to name a few.Anderson won the Pulitzer Prize in commentary in 1981. Anderson is just one of three sports columnists to win the award. The first was Red Smith, Anderson’s colleague at the New York Times, in 1976, and Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times, who won the award in 1990. (A fourth sportswriter, Arthur Haley, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1956, technically for local reporting.) Anderson was also the recipient of Associated Press Sports Editors’ Red Smith Award for major contributions to sports journalism in 1994.Anderson's father worked for the Troy Times in his hometown of Troy, N.Y. Anderson got his start in journalism writing for his high school student newspaper at Xavier High School in Manhattan and continued in college at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. He got his first professional job in journalism at the age of 16 when he was hired as a messenger at the New York Sun while attending Xavier High.One of Anderson's closest colleagues throughout the years was Jim Murray, the columnist at the Los Angeles Times who passed away in 1998. His widow, Linda Murray-Hofmans, and Jim Murray were close friends with Anderson, and Linda mourned the loss of a legend in the world of sportswriting. I interviewed Linda after she received news of Anderson's death. Here is that interview:Francis: Given Jim Murray and Dave Anderson's history of both being awarded a Pulitzer Prize for sports commentary, as well as Dave being one of the judges for the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Scholars essay competition, how close were Jim and Dave throughout their lives, both personally and professionally?Linda Murray-Hofmans: Jim and Anderson were close professional friends for many years dating back to the mid- to late 1950s. Although Dave was 10 years younger than Jim, they both joined the sports beat about the same time. In 1955, Dave worked at the Journal-American; then moved to the New York Times as a general-assignment sportswriter in 1966. Jim, on the other hand, while working for Time, Inc. as its West Coast cinema correspondent from 1948 to 1955, he was summoned to New York in 1953 to assist in the birth of a new Time, Inc. sports magazine. The magazine launched its first edition on August 16, 1954. (Ironically, Jim Murray died on August 16, 1998.) Jim came back to Los Angeles to become Sports Illustrated's West Coast editor in 1959. He joined the Los Angeles Times in February 1961, at which time his connections to and friendships with the writers around the country became more personal. The sports world was different back then, and so were the sports writers. The stories shared by the oldtimers at Toots Shore’s in New York were endless and held quietly among themselves. So, to answer your question, their professional friendship grew into a more personal relationship as Dave and Jim would see each other at baseball games, boxing matches, golf tournaments and eventually, awards banquets. Francis: With Jim winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1990, how much of an influence or role model was Dave since he was a former Pulitzer Prize winner himself in 1981? Or perhaps the other way around if Jim had any influence on Dave in the early years?Linda: Although I firmly believe there was a mutual admiration, neither Dave nor Jim thought of himself as a role model or influence on each other’s writing. They were self-deprecating men, colleagues who had tremendous admiration for each other. Dave Anderson was thrilled when Jim won his Pulitzer in 1990 and wrote, “Jim Murray is not merely a great sportswriter. He is a great American writer who deserves to be thought of with Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and John Updike as well as Red Smith and Jimmy Cannon.”Francis: How would you describe the life of a sports commentator/columnist, especially one as high profile as Jim and Dave were at the height of their careers?Linda: Revered. Admired. Respected.Francis: During your interactions with Dave throughout the years, what was your personal assessment of Dave? Some say he was a one of a kind, had a great personality, was warm, and had a genuine concern for others. Would you agree?Linda: I first met Dave Anderson at the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Country Club on Long Island. He was so nice, so sweet. His demeanor reminded me of my favorite uncle. Dave Anderson was always wearing a smile and always had a warm greeting. On a side note, Dave Anderson was a champion of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. He gave me enormous encouragement when I first launched the foundation after Jim’s passing. Each year thereafter, Dave would send an annual donation for the sports journalism program, along with a personal note.Francis: Being married to an industry-changing man who left an amazing mark on the profession of sports commentary and writing, what kind of impact do you think Jim and Dave left for those that had the pleasure of working with them, those who read and watched their reports, and the sports broadcasting industry as a whole?Linda: The sports commentary business/industry is changing at rapid speed these days, so unless the journalism schools around the country offer dedicated sports journalism classes to serious writers, I fear the prose and the integrity of the written word will soon disappear. “You can’t stop a writer from writing,” said Jim Murray. But, a writer must know his subject, history, entertain and inform. Some will come close, but I doubt that we will ever see or read the likes of Dave Anderson and Jim Murray again. That era of Dave, Jim, Grantland Rice, Red Smith, Jimmy Cannon, Blackie Sherrod, Edwin Pope, Dan Jenkins is for the archives.Francis: In your opinion, what was the greatest accomplishment of Dave?Linda: Professionally: His Pulitzer Prize. Personally: His family.Francis: Do you have a favorite Dave column? What was it about?Linda: All Dave’s columns were my favorites.Francis: What qualities did Dave Anderson have that you would like your Murray Scholars to either take note of or emulate in their various careers?Linda: Qualities that promise to perpetuate the spirit of journalistic integrity and creativity.Francis: What do you think the lasting legacy of Dave Anderson is?Linda: A great writer, a good friend, and an exceptional human being.Francis: I would like to thank Linda Hofmans for her time and willingness to answer my questions and learn more about the characters and influences of two of the greatest professionals in the sportswriting industry. 
Dave Anderson column about Arnold Palmer (New York Times archives)